ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

Urgent Appeal Update: AHRC-UAU-031-2009

15 October 2009

[Re: UA-136-2007: THAILAND: No progress in investigation of police serial killers; UP-065-2007: THAILAND: Details of more alleged killings by police in Kalasin; UP-073-2007: THAILAND: More abductions & killings allegedly by Kalasin police; UP-099-2007: THAILAND: Another five killings in which Kalasin police suspected of involvement; UAU-019-2009: Years after the Kalasin killings just two are under special investigation; another disappearance has been reported]

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THAILAND: Trial of police officers accused of Kalasin killings will open on October 19

ISSUES: Extrajudicial killing; forced disappearance; impunity
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you that the case of Kiettisak Thitboonkrong was sent to the Criminal Court in Bangkok in September 2009. The six police officers have been accused of premeditated murder and of concealing Kiettisak's corpse to hide the cause of death. The first trial will be opened on 19 October 2009 in the Criminal Court, Bangkok, Thailand. The AHRC asks supporters in Bangkok to attend the trial as observers.

UPDATED INFORMATION:

As earlier reported (UAU-019-2009) the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) in the Ministry of Justice has investigated the death of Kiettisak Thitboonkrong for three years. On 18 May 2009 it charged six police officers with premeditated murder and with concealing Kiettisak's corpse to hide the cause of death (an image of the body can be found here, but please be warned that it is graphic). Because this case was investigated under the Special Investigation Act it was sent to the Criminal Court in Bangkok. The public prosecutor is conducting the case.

On 9 September the prosecutor sent the case against five police officers--Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Angkarn Kammoonna, Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Sutthinant Noenthing, Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Phansilp Uppanant, Pol. Lt. Col. Samphao Indee and Pol. Col. Montree Sriboonloue--to the court (Black Case No. 325/2552) and sent the case against Pol. Lt. Col. Sumitr Nanthasathit on 23 September (Black Case No. 346/2552). These two cases were separated because the officers were brought before the court at different times, and the prosecutor has sent a petition to ask the court to try them as a single case.

On 22 September, Kittisupt Thitboonkrong, the father of Kiettisak, also sent a petition to be joint-litigant on this case under the Criminal Procedure Code, represented by lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand.
The Criminal Court has fixed the first date of trial for 19 October at 1.30pm. On that day it will also consider the petition of Kittisupt to be join-litigant and the petition of the prosecutor to get the two cases to proceeed together. Please attend this important trial.

Trial date and time: 19 October 2009 at 1.30pm.
Venue: Criminal Court, Rachadaphisek Road, Jatujak district, Bangkok, Thailand

ADDITIONALCOMMENTS:

This case is the first in which the DSI has charged police officers over killings in Kalasin Province and in which the prosecutor has agreed to send the case to court. The AHRC alone has documented at least 28 killings by police officers in Kalasin in recent years; for more information see: UA-136-2007, UP-065-2007, UP-073-2007, UP-099-2007 and UAU-019-2009. Please refer to our earlier appeals and sample letters for further information and action. For an extensive record of cases of alleged police abuse in Thailand click here (PDF).

Thank you.